12 hours ago
John Luther Adams on earth
John Luther Adams describes himself, tentatively, as an 'elemental extremist'. New Yorker music critic Alex Ross describes him as 'one of the most original musical thinkers of the 20th century'. Deeply attuned to the natural world, particularly his adopted home of Alaska, Adams' music has confronted the climate change, anger, and grief since the 1970s. He might be best known for his trio of Become works, one of which, Become Ocean, won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2014. Despite his love of extremes, he's found himself residing in Canberra where Andy spoke to him about his career, his landscapes, and what's brought him to our nation's fair capital.
Music heard in the show:
Title: Inuksuit
Artist: Inuksuit Ensemble
Composer: John Luther Adams
Album: Inuksuit, for Percussion
Label: Cantaloupe
Title: In the White Silence; Beginning
Artist: Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble
Composer: John Luther Adams
Album: Adams, J L: In the White Silence
Label: New World
Title: Songbirdsongs; ix. Evensong
Artist: Callithumpian Consort & Stephen Drury
Composer: John Luther Adams
Album: Luther Adams: Songbirdsongs
Label: Mode
Title: Become Ocean
Artist: Seattle Symphony, Ludovic Merlot
Composer: John Luther Adams
Album: John Luther Adams: Become Ocean
Label: Cantaloupe
Title: An Atlas of Deep Time
Artist: South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, Delta David Gier
Composer: John Luther Adams
Album: John Luther Adams: An Atlas of Deep Time
Label: Cantaloupe
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, Yuggera and Turrbal Land
Technical production by Tim Jenkins and Dylan Prins
